Your Creative Midlife
Your Creative Midlife. With host Betsy Bush.
I’m talking to people who are exploring the creative life post-career or as empty nesters: painting, writing, making music, theater, and film making. What about you? Is this the time to write that book? Return to arts you enjoyed as a kid or teen? Curious to try something new?
Here’s the thing: It’s never too late to bring a creative practice into your life. My guests talk about the satisfaction they find as they develop their new skills. They also share the uncertainty and fear they felt when they started and the confidence they gained as they kept at it and their skills developed. Even better: their definition of success is their own. Where do you want to go? Dare to follow your muse.
Have a creative journey to share? Please get in touch via our website contact page, www.yourcreativemidlife.com
Your Creative Midlife
Reliving Nantucket’s nautical past with the Shanty Singers
The popular Shanty Cruise offers a unique experience for visitors and locals alike—evoking the spirit of long-ago ship crews who sang these working songs as they hoisted sails and weighed anchor. For anyone exploring creative pursuits in midlife or retirement, it’s a reminder that it’s never too late to join in something joyful, musical, and community-driven.
Betsy’s conversation with the singers—both in studio and aboard the Minke—dives into the history and origins of sea shanties, as well as their personal experiences performing for passengers. Many of the songs are familiar, and passengers often find themselves singing along—making for an unforgettable summer evening on Nantucket Harbor.
The singers themselves—mostly year-round Nantucket residents, with a few summer regulars—combine their day jobs on the island with the joy of singing on the water. Many are also active in local theater and creative arts, reflecting the vibrant artistic community on Nantucket.
Special thanks to Shanty Singers Tom Loughlin, Jack Bulger, Pam Murphy, Jenny Gifford, and Pete Sendelbach. And a big thanks to Minke owner Rachel Perkins of Nantucket by Water.
Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com. Are you on your own artistic or creative journey? We want to know about you! Please contact us through the website. Dare to follow your muse!